


His Loss

by peggy_hamilton



Series: Band Of Brothers Imagines [23]
Category: Band of Brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 04:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20352550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggy_hamilton/pseuds/peggy_hamilton
Summary: You come out to Toye





	His Loss

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on my tumblr @justthinkingofwaystoavoidbusses
> 
> original request: Could I request something? “Male reader coming out to Joe toye” please -anon

“Joe? Can I speak to you for a minute?” you asked quietly, wringing your hands together.

He frowned a little, “Sure, what’s wrong?”

You darted your eyes around to where lots of the other guys were milling and joking about, not the type of audience you wanted for this conversation, you jerked your head to the side and walked in that direction. Joe’s heavy footfalls sounded behind you as you made your way to a more secluded area away from everyone else.

Joe had been your best friend since the day you first met him. The two of you had clicked instantly and you were rarely seen without the other, you offset each other in just the right way that when he was quieter you were loud and vice versa, and good luck to the poor sucker who decided to start a bar fight with either one of you. “Everything okay?” he asked, placing a hand on your shoulder.

You nodded absently, running your hand through your hair and looking out at the forest in front of you, you could only just make out Joe in your peripheral vision. “You know I never had a sweetheart at home,” you started, an odd clarity coming to your mind as you watched the delicate snowflakes fall to the ground. “I don’t want to brag, but it wasn’t for lack of them trying,” you continued, a humourless chuckle lifting from your throat.

“Okay,” Joe said, confused.

“I told myself I didn’t need a dame. I had school work to do, chores at home, the baseball team, my mail round,” you spoke, still not looking at him. “I just figured that girls would come later and that all my friends were exaggerating when they talked about them.”

“What are you saying?” Joe asked, still unsure of what was running through your mind.

You licked your chapped lips, “I’m saying I was wrong.” You squeezed your eyes shut, you couldn’t face the world. You couldn’t face Joe. You couldn’t face the look he would get when he found out the truth, but you couldn’t keep lying to your best friend even if it meant you lost him. “When I was eighteen this new kid moved in down the street, and he had a smile to die for” your voice was quiet, hoarse, but Joe could still hear you. “That was when I knew, deep down, that it wasn’t them it was me. That I didn’t feel that way about girls, not because I was too busy, but because they were-” you gulped loudly, “-girls.”

“Y/N.” Joe’s voice broke through the silence. Your eyes were still tight shut, you didn’t want to see the look of horror and disgust, you didn’t want to see him run off and proclaim to all the others your darkest secret. “That’s okay.”

Your eyes snapped open and you blinked away the tears that brimmed in your eyes and you looked at him for the first time in minutes, “What?” you breathed.

He shrugged casually, “I’ve known you for years, this doesn’t change anything, y’know. You’re still you. Look, it doesn’t matter to me who you like or who you don’t. You’re still one of the best guys I know.”

“Really?” you snivelled, trying to figure out if he was playing some kind of trick.

Joe nodded seriously, “Yeah. Your secrets safe with me,” he squeezed your shoulder and you gave him a watery smile, tension leaving your body and for the first time in what must have been years you felt somewhat comfortable with yourself. “So this kid, anything happen?” he asked curiously.

You laughed bitterly and shook your head as you wiped away some stray tears, “Nah. He knocked up my other neighbour, then there was a shotgun wedding. I don’t think he ever even looked at me,” you laughed, a genuine smile now coming back to your face as you recounted the memory from your hometown.

“His loss,” Joe smiled, slinging an arm companionably over your shoulders as you made your way back to the rest of the guys, who by the looks of things hadn’t even noticed your absence.


End file.
